When Boredom Drives Turnover on Your Team | Harvard Business Review (2025) |

PEOPLE EXPERIENCE & ENGAGEMENT

When Boredom Drives Turnover on Your Team | Harvard Business Review (2025) | A groundbreaking study of UN peacekeepers reveals that workplace boredom isn't just an inconvenience—it's a significant turnover driver. The research shows how helping employees pivot from abstract, lofty goals to more minor, achievable wins can dramatically improve engagement and retention.

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✨ OVERVIEW

This research explores how workplace boredom—mainly "existential boredom"—significantly impacts employee engagement and retention. Based on a multi-year study of 63 UN peacekeeping officers, researcher Madeleine Rauch from Cambridge University found that boredom becomes problematic when it stems from a deep sense of purposelessness rather than merely tedious tasks. The study identifies key differences between employees who successfully manage boredom and those who become disengaged. Successful employees accept boredom's existence and pivot toward smaller, achievable goals. In contrast, those who refuse to acknowledge boredom and rigidly focus on distant objectives experience widening gaps between aspirations and daily realities, leading to disengagement and turnover. The article provides concrete strategies for managers to address existential boredom through strategic goal-setting, recognising incremental achievements, encouraging adaptability, and normalising conversations about boredom.

🧩 CONTEXT

While situational boredom (temporary disinterest in repetitive tasks or tedious meetings) has always existed in workplaces, existential boredom represents a more profound crisis where employees question the fundamental purpose of their work, asking "What am I even doing here?" This problem has intensified with increasing burnout rates among workers, contributing to trends like "quiet quitting" where employees disengage from non-essential tasks. The study of UN peacekeepers provides unique insights because these workers operate in extreme conditions yet report feeling bored 90% of the time despite their mission's meaningful purpose. This paradox—boredom within purposeful work—makes them an ideal group for understanding how even mission-driven organisations can struggle with employee disengagement.

🔍 WHY IT MATTERS

↳ Existential boredom drives turnover differently than conventional boredom—The research distinguishes existential boredom (questioning work's purpose) from situational boredom (temporary task-based disinterest). This deeper form has become more pronounced as increasing burnout leads employees to question why they work so hard. When these questions go unanswered, employees may begin "quiet quitting." The study found that peacekeepers who couldn't overcome existential boredom were less than half as likely to re-enlist for another mission compared to counterparts who successfully reframed their experience.

↳ Traditional approaches to motivation often backfire—The research reveals that rigidly focusing on ambitious end goals without acknowledging day-to-day realities worsens disengagement. The study found that peacekeepers who viewed boredom as a personal failure and refused to adjust their expectations experienced more incredible frustration as the gap between aspirations and actual work widened. This approach often "backfired," leading to higher turnover as these individuals were significantly less likely to sign up for another mission. This suggests that conventional motivational approaches focusing solely on inspirational long-term visions may inadvertently contribute to existential boredom rather than alleviating it, primarily when the daily reality doesn't provide regular progress experiences.

↳ Boredom affects organisational performance broadly—Left unchecked, workplace boredom can derail even the most ambitious corporate initiatives, from large-scale digital transformations to sustainability efforts. The research demonstrates that addressing boredom isn't merely a "nice-to-have" employee perk but an essential practice for keeping teams engaged and organisations thriving. The effects of unaddressed boredom cascade beyond individual productivity to impact innovation, collaboration, and ultimately, a company's bottom line.

💡 KEY INSIGHTS

↳ Acceptance is the first step to overcoming existential boredom—The most engaged employees first acknowledged that boredom was a natural part of pursuing ambitious goals. Rather than seeing boredom as a failure, they recognised the inherent challenge in connecting abstract objectives (like "establishing peace") to daily activities. This acceptance allowed them to reframe their expectations and approach their work differently, ultimately leading to greater fulfillment despite experiencing boredom most of the time.

↳ Smaller, achievable goals maintain engagement amid lofty missions—Employees who successfully overcame existential boredom proactively shifted their focus from distant, abstract goals to immediate, attainable objectives. The research highlighted peacekeepers who initiated local projects like distributing school supplies or establishing mobile courts—activities that still contributed to the larger peace-building mission while providing concrete, near-term accomplishments. By reframing their expectations and focusing on clearly scoped tasks that delivered visible results, these employees maintained higher engagement levels despite operating in challenging environments. This approach effectively bridges the gap between organisational aspirations and employees' psychological need for tangible progress.

↳ Specific warning signs can help identify existential boredom—The research identifies four key indicators that an employee may be experiencing existential boredom: emotional detachment (appearing flat or indifferent), questioning the meaning of their work (making comments like "Does this even matter?"), persistent restlessness or fatigue (appearing lost in thought or delaying simple tasks), and withdrawal from colleagues (avoiding meetings or stopping contribution to discussions). These signs are particularly significant when they represent a change from an employee's typical behaviour.

🚀 ACTIONS FOR LEADERS

↳ Set short- and long-term goals—Balance future aspirations with present achievements by connecting immediate milestones to the broader mission. Microsoft exemplifies this approach by celebrating its breakthrough quantum chip Majorana 1 while acknowledging it's just one step in their more extended quantum processing unit development. This balanced approach keeps employees engaged with achievable targets while maintaining sight of inspirational long-term visions.

↳ Celebrate incremental wins—Regularly acknowledge progress toward larger goals, helping employees see the value in their day-to-day contributions. Netflix demonstrates this by celebrating subscriber growth from specific initiatives like live sports streaming, even as they pursue broader competitive strategies. During performance reviews, explicitly draw connections between individual tasks and organisational objectives, helping employees understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture.

↳ Foster environments that encourage adaptability—Create conditions where teams feel empowered to adjust their approach rather than rigidly adhering to original plans. Companies like Google (with its 20% time for side projects), 3M (whose culture led to the creation of Post-it Notes), and Atlassian (with "ShipIt Days") demonstrate how giving employees space to pursue related but self-directed projects can combat boredom while potentially yielding unexpected innovations.

↳ Normalise conversations about boredom—Openly acknowledge that boredom is a natural part of work, especially when pursuing ambitious goals with slow or unclear progress. The research emphasises that "ignoring this reality can breed disengagement, but acknowledging it can be the first step to setting new, engaging plans." McKinsey's example of regularly taking the "pulse" of its workforce to gauge how employees feel about their work and making responsive changes demonstrates how organisations can proactively identify emotional strain before it leads to quiet quitting. Open conversations, thoughtful support, and a renewed focus on the "why" behind the work can make a significant difference in helping employees find meaning in their daily tasks.

🔗 CONCLUSION

Workplace boredom, particularly in its existential form, presents a significant challenge for organisations pursuing ambitious long-term goals. The research demonstrates that boredom isn't the problem—how organisations and individuals respond. By acknowledging boredom, focusing on achievable goals, celebrating incremental progress, and fostering adaptability, leaders can transform potential disengagement into opportunities for innovation and growth. While this study focused on peacekeepers, the findings apply broadly across organisational contexts. In a world where ambitious visions can take years to realise, focusing on meaningful immediate wins is key to sustaining momentum—whether work happens in corporate headquarters or conflict zones.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAY

Boredom doesn't have to be a barrier—savvy managers can harness it to spark innovation and recalibrate goals. In a world where ambitious visions can take years to realise, focusing on the here and now is key to sustaining momentum, whether the work happens in Boston, Bogotá, Baghdad, or Bangui.

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